


Come Hell or High Water

by Shi_Toyu



Series: Stark Week 2017 [4]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Afterlife, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Going to Hell, Hell, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 12:31:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11737086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: Since Tony was first dragged into the depths of Hell and became its ruler, there has only ever been one soul he feared crossing into his lands.





	Come Hell or High Water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skye_wyr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_wyr/gifts).



> This is sort of fluff. It totally counts.
> 
> Big thank you to Skye_wyr for giving me the prompt for this one!

Tony’s head snapped up as he felt the new consciousness enter his realm. No. _No, no, no, no!_ He was up and away from his desk in a heartbeat, running through the corridors of his palace. Hela would have given him a scathing look, but it wasn’t like she was around anymore. Not that he cared about making her happy, either. It was her fault he was in this situation.

His bare feet slapped against the stone floors as he ran, desperate to reach the courtyard as quickly as possible. He didn’t actually have that much to do with the everyday sorting of souls but he _felt_ them when they entered and _this_ one… He wasn’t ready. As much as he desperately wanted to have James back, Tony wasn’t ready for him to be dead.

He burst into the courtyard, eyes searching the crowd of souls gathered there. It was an expansive space, countless souls moving through it every day from all across the Nine Realms. They parted for Tony without conscious thought, instinctively making space for him. They all answered to him now. He paid them no mind, though. He could _sense_ James, but he couldn’t track him. Where was he?

“You’d think the ruler of the underworld would dress better.”

Tony whipped around, eyes wide. Behind him loomed a man hardly recognizable as the lover he’d lost when Tony was dragged down into Hell himself. James’ hair was longer, nearly to his shoulders but knotted and messy. Heavy, black leather covered his body, more armor than fashion, and his arm- God, his arm…

“James,” Tony breathed, reaching out toward him.

His hands trembled.

“I had to come for you,” James insisted, falling into Tony’s hold and clinging to him. “I couldn’t live without you, knowing you were trapped down here. I’m sorry it took me so long to find a path.”

Tony only pulled him impossibly closer, burying his face in James’ neck.

“I missed you so much,” he confessed. “I was desperate to see you again, but I couldn’t ever hope that you would die…”

James’ expression softened.

“I know… That’s why I searched for the paths. I couldn’t make you feel like my death was your fault.”

Tony’s heart clenched.

“But if you’d gotten lost,” he protested, “your soul would have been lost forever! The paths aren’t meant to be walked by mortals.”

James chuckles without any humor, a haunted gleam in his eyes. He lifted his mutilated shoulder in a half-shrug.

“Yeah, well, it was a risk worth taking.” Then he was leaning in again, resting his forehead against Tony’s and said, “You will _always_ be worth it.”

Tony tilted his head up to kiss James, savoring the feeling of their bodies pressed against one another.

“I love you.”

James sighed against his lips, tension rushing out of his frame.

“I love you, too.”

Tony gave him another soft kiss before they parted and he began to guide the other back through the crowd and toward the palace.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve well and truly proved that. Now, let’s get that arm looked at, shall we? I don’t want to hear any complaints about me pampering you senseless.”

This time, James’ chuckle held a bit more life to it.

“Anything you want,” he promised. “I’ve got everything _I_ want right here.”


End file.
